Come Back to Me
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: After an accident takes her memory, Elphaba Thropp finds herself trying to live the life she doesn't remember. Her friends decide to help her live her new life w/promise that- though she isn't the girl they knew before- she can always come back to them.
1. Chapter 1

**Come Back to Me**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: After an accident takes her memory, Elphaba Thropp finds herself in sea of strangers, trying to live the life of a college student that she doesn't remember living, hanging out with people who called themselves her friends, and becoming involved with a boy she doesn't remember liking, doesn't remember kissing, doesn't remember getting engaged to. So her friends take it upon themselves to help her bring her memory back. But then they discover that she will never regain her memory. So they decide to do all they can to help her live her new life, always with the promise that- though she isn't the girl they knew before the accident- she can always come back to them. **

_Colwen Grounds, Nest Hardings, Munchkinland_

"Fabala? What are you reading?"

The girl looked up from her book. She lay on the sofa,_ truly_ relaxed for once in her twelve years. Her younger sister sat on the floor beside her, sucking hot tea through a straw as they warmed by the fire. Snow drifted to the ground outside the living room's bay window, and the sisters were getting along for once. The older girl sat up, closing her book. She turned it over and let the younger girl read the back cover.

"So... the girl loses her memory?"

"And she has to rebuild her life. From the ground up."

The younger girl shuddered.

"It sounds scary."

"I don't know if it'd be-"

"Girls, your aunt's here." Both looked up. Their mother stood in the doorway, threading an earring in. She tossed her mahogany curls and joined her daughters, helping the younger girl to her feet. "Fabala, come on. Sophelia's here."

Reluctantly, the older girl set her book on the coffee table and stood, tightening her ponytail. She let her mother wrap her arm around her shoulders and guide her from the room.

"There are my two favorite nieces!"

"We're you're only nieces." She muttered as her sister wobbily made her way towards her aunt, who enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Elphaba be nice." Her mother scolded gently. "You're aunt comes down from the City once a year, when she can. Enjoy her. You used to love when Sophelia came down to visit. Cherish this visit. You never know when you'll see her again."

The girl swallowed quickly before putting a smile on her face.

"There's my little silk jade! Look at you! The last time I saw you you were knee-high!" Her aunt hurried over and wrapped the girl in a tight hug, to which the girl half-heartedly returned. "How are you doing, Bala?" She asked, pulling away to look at her niece. The girl smiled.

"Good. I'm doing good, Aunt Sophelia."

"Frex is in the parlor. Soph, are you hungry-"

"I ate already, but thank you, Lana." Her sister nodded, understanding. "Shall we join Frex for coffee?"

The two women led the girls into the parlor and spent the next two hours catching up. The girls slipped up to bed about nine. So it was around midnight when the bedroom door opened and her aunt slipped inside.

"I came in to say good night." The girl looked up from her book.

"Good night." But her aunt didn't go. Instead, she went to the bed and settled on the edge.

"So, what's up?" Her niece shrugged.

"Nothing much." She watched her aunt's eyebrows rise in disbelief.

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" A nod. "Come on, Bala, you can trust me." The girl didn't respond, instead she returned to her reading. After a moment, the older woman glanced at the book and then tilted it up to read the back. "You're reading a book about amnesia?" She nodded. "Is it good?"

"Yeah. It's really good." The younger girl bit her lip. "Could you imagine losing your memory in an accident? Never regaining it, and having to reinvent yourself all over again? Meet people you once knew all over again? How scary would that be?"

"It would be scary, but if you surrounded yourself with the right people, it'd turn out all right."

"But... how? You wouldn't remember anything or anyone. How would that be all right?" Her niece asked, looking up at her. She leaned back against the headboard.

"Well, for one, all the bad things that happened to you would never have happened. You'd have a clean slate. And... you'd create new memories. For your new life. And... maybe even fall in love with someone you never thought you'd fall in love with."

The girl wrinkled her nose.

"But... stuff like this doesn't happen in real life. Only in books. Never in real life."

Her aunt raised an eyebrow. "You'd be surprised." Then, she leaned over and kissed the girl's forehead. "Goodnight, Bala. Sweet dreams."

She leaned back against the headboard, watching her aunt go to the door. She spoke up as the door closed behind her aunt.

"Goodnight."


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_Shiz, Gillikin_

"Don't you think it's funny?"

"What?"

The blonde brushed a curl away from her face.

"How we ended up being friends."

The older girl raised an eyebrow. "We're roommates Glinda. Why wouldn't we be friends? Besides the fact that we hated each other when we first met."

Glinda shrugged. "Come on, Elphie, I'm pretty sure you weren't happy to be sharing a room with me. You are, after all, the Thropp Third Descending, and a second year-"

"That's _only_ because my father waved a suitcase full of wads of cash under the admission board's noses in order to get me a spot in the new class last year. I wasn't supposed to go to college until this year- instead, my father sent me to college when I turned seventeen last September. That's why I'm a second year. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, I'd be a first year like you." She threw her head back, downing the last of her wine. The girls were mourning the end of winter break, by having a couple glasses of wine at a small bar in Shiz Village, not far from the University.

"Yeah, but you never would have met Yero if you hadn't come to Shiz a year early." Glinda replied, sipping her wine. Elphaba didn't reply, accepting the refill of her glass. Instead, she took a sip of her drink and gazed down at her hand. An emerald cornered by two diamonds winked at her from their place on the gold band around her ring finger.

"I still think this-" She said, holding her hand up and wiggling her fingers at her best friend. "was a set up by our parents."

"What was a set up?" The girls looked behind them to see Fiyero Tiggular, Vinkun Prince, standing not a foot from them. He nursed a glass of wine, his first, unlike his fiance, who was downing them like she were throwing up jewels. Elphaba was already on her sixth glass.

"Hi Yero." The bride-to-be in question gave the young man a small smile and let him kiss her quickly. "And in answer to your question," She set her glass down and shifted to look at him. "I think this whole engagement between us was set up by our parents."

He chuckled softly. "It was, Elphie. I know for a fact, it- this- our engagement- was a set up. My parents have been talking about a marriage between the Vinkus and Munchkinland since before I was born. We were roped into it."

"With no way of getting out." Elphaba finished, sipping her drink again. Fiyero nodded in agreement.

"But... I thought you two were happy. I thought you liked each other... don't you love each other? That's what your vows are going to be after all. To love each other. Forever." Glinda cut in. Ever the hopeless romantic, Glinda was excited to see her best friend getting her fairytale ending- Prince Charming and all. The couple looked at each other.

"Glinda, you don't understand what it's like to have your parents control your life-" Elphaba started.

"From the moment you're born, they're telling you what to do, who to play with, who to be friends with as you get older-" Fiyero cut in.

"How to dress, how _not_ to act at the dinner table, what to say to dignitaries-"

"What to wear to dinner or a ball, who not to date-"

"Being sent to your room without supper when you stand up to them during an ambassador's dinner, or being smacked into a bookshelf for going for a walk without a chaperone or protector-"

"Not being able to abdicate because your parents won't allow you to-"

"Or being told that a political marriage is 'good for our country'-"

"When you don't think so."

"It's horrible. We have no lives, Glin. We do what our parents tell us. We screw on the smiles and play nice, while we try not to lose it and attack."

"I wish I wasn't royalty."

Elphaba snorted softly. "And I wish I wasn't the Govenor's daughter." They looked over at the blonde, who sat stunned, eyes wide, mouth open.

"Wow."

"That's all you have to say?" Fiyero asked. She didn't respond. He glanced at his fiance. "I think for once, she's silent."

"Enjoy it." Elphaba replied.

"But... but you two _love_ each other, don't you?" Glinda asked, finally catching up to the couple's train of thought. They were silent for several minutes, before nodding.

"Yes. But not like we should."

"What do you mean, Elphie?"

Fiyero cleared his throat. "We love each other in the sense that we have to. Duty-bound love."

"We're... slowly... falling in love." Elphie said, sipping her drink. "Very slowly."

"Which is fine." Fiyero added, stopping the blonde from speaking up. "We want to take things slow."

Moments passed in silence. Eventually, Elphaba finished her drink and set her glass down. Then, she stood on unsteady legs and gathered her things.

"I think I'm going to go. I'll see you back at the dorm, Glin." Glinda nodded, giving her a small smile.

"Do you want me to come, Elphie?" The girl waved her off. She stumbled into Fiyero's arms.

"Sorry." He smiled at her gently.

"It's okay." Then, he kissed her gently, holding her until she was steady on her feet. "Let me take you back, Elphie." She pulled away from him, stumbling to the door.

"I'll be fine. I want to walk; it'll clear my head. I'll see you both back at campus." And with that, she was gone, stumbling out into the warm night air.

She walked for several minutes, letting her foggy mind clear. Her arms wrapped tight around herself, and she thought back on Fiyero's words. So focused was she that she didn't notice that she'd stumbled into the street, nor did she see the headlights coming towards her. The last thing she remembered, was the sound of a horn before everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_Shiz Memorial Hospital_

"She'll be all right, _won't_ she?"

"You have to understand, Mr. Tiggular, that she's been in a severe accident. We won't know how she'll be until tomorrow morning."

"What happened? What the _hell_ happened to my little girl?"

"Please, Mr. Thropp, you need to calm down!"

"Is my sister going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine, Nea, okay? Bala is going to be just fine. She's strong, she'll pull through."

"I want you to tell me what happened to my daughter!"

"Frex!"

_"Shut up, Sophelia!"_

_"Frex, stop!"_

"Mr. Thropp, you have to understand, your daughter was the victim of a hit-and-run. Not only did the car hit her, it backed up and ran over her again. We had to snap her head back into place. She'll be lucky if she isn't paralyzed. Please, give her at least- at least- forty-eight hours. Please."

"Who would do this? First Melena and now my daughter? I can't lose them both the same way..."

"You have to come back, Elphie. You have to come back to me."

Her eyes slowly opened; the voices faded away, and she looked around. She was alone, wrapped in a blanket, in a hospital room. Her head hurt, and she felt as though she'd been run over by a thousand dragons. Blinking several times, she finally was able to clear enough of the sleep away to see monitors and windows. The strong smell of antiseptic wafted under her nose, and she swallowed.

Antiseptic.

She was in a hospital.

But... where?

Suddenly, a curtain slid back, and a man in a white coat entered.

"Ah, Miss Thropp. You're awake."

She swallowed.

"Wh... where are I? What happened?"

The doctor- for that's obviously what he was- worte something down quickly on his clipboard before going ot her side.

"You're at Shiz Memorial Hospital. You were in a hit-and-run accident."

"A... an accident?" He nodded, confused. She spoke with a child's fear. On a hunch, he asked,

"Miss Thropp, if you don't mind my asking, but, how old are you?"

The girl stayed silent, working out the math in her head. Then,

"Fourteen."

He stared at her, shocked. "Twelve?" She nodded. He shook his head. "Miss Thropp, you're not fourteen-years-old. You're eighteen. You were in a hit-and-run accident outside a bar in Shiz Village. You're a second year at Shiz University.

She stayed silent, digesting the information. "But... but it wasn't serious, was it?" He sighed.

"Miss Thropp, you've been in a coma for the last week and a half. When you... when you were brought to the hospital, you're neck had nearly snapped clean from your back and there were two depressions in your skull. You suffered blunt force trauma to the head from having the car back up over you. We had to snap your skull back onto your body. There's a possibility you may be paralyzed. I'm sorry."

Her eyes had filled with tears, and she tried hard not to cry. Suddenly, she felt unable to breathe. She had to get out of here. There was no way that what the doctor was saying was true. She struggled to sit up, and instead, ended up thrashing about in an attempt to get up. Nurses rushed into the room to hold her down and calm her, and an older couple and a younger couple with a younger girl appeared in the doorway, fear in their eyes.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" The older man asked.

"She woke up, Mr. Thropp. She-"

"Let me go, please!"

One of the men moved towards the nurses, but the younger girl reached out to stop him.

"I have to try! I have to_ try_ calm her down!" He pulled away and pushed through the nurses before sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching out to take her face in his hands.

"Elphaba! Elphaba stop! Calm down! You_ have_ to calm down!" She tried pulling away but he held strong. "Stop! Elphaba stop!"

"I want my father! I want my daddy! Get away from me! I don't know you!"

"Of course you know me!_ I'm your fiance!"_

Those three little words stopped her heart cold. He stared into her eyes, hoping to see recognition, but all he saw was fear. Then, suddenly, she screamed. Terrified, ear-shattering. He let go of her face and backed away, stumbling into a nurse.

_"Daddy! I want my daddy!"_

Frex brushed past the prince, going to his daughter and sitting on the bed. He gathered her into his arms and proceeded to whisper into her hair. The doctor beckoned the others into the hall and shut the door.

"What's wrong with her, Doctor?" The older woman asked. He sighed.

"Elphaba has... amnesia. Long-term amnesia. She doesn't remember Shiz Univerity or the accident. She thinks she's fourteen-years-old. When the driver hit her, she hit the hood of the car before hitting the ground. Then, he ran over her, put the car in reverse, backed over her and ran over her again. The force of the car going over her caused her neck to snap, and the weight of the tires caused the depressions on her head, which caused the brain damage."

The others listened, sick at the details of the accident.

"Will she recover her memory?" After a few moments, the doctor said,

"She has amnesia caused by major trauma, Miss Upland. This sort of amnesia caused by trauma this severe usually results in permanent memory loss."

"But... you said that she said that she was fourteen." Fiyero said.

"Yes. Often times, when a patient suffers this severe a trauma, the last memory they'll have is of a happier time."

"But why fourteen?" Glinda asked.

"Because Lana was still alive." Sophelia said, wrapping her arms around herself. "Her mother." She clarified. "Lana died the first week in January a year later. Ironically- in a hit-and-run. They never caught the man."

"It could be that Elphaba's reverted back to fourteen because those are the last happy memories she has of her mother, and it's a way to cling to her. It's not uncommon." The doctor replied. He opened the door; Elphaba has calmed in Frex's arms, and they watched father and daughter. Suddenly, she looked up at her father and innocently asked,

"Daddy? When's Mama going to get here?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Didn't you write something similar, as part of the story series where Elphaba and Fiyero move to New York and become Broadway stars?**

**Answer: Yes._ Kiss Me Goodbye _is similar to this one.**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 1, 2 and 3.**

_Colwen Grounds_

She watched the huge mansion get closer and closer as the car made its way towards it. When the car finally pulled into the driveway, someone came over and opened the door.

"Come on, Fabala." A pair of hands helped her out of the car, and she reached out to steady herself against her father's chest. When he moved away to get her things, she turned her eyes towards her childhood home. The old mansion stood back from the road, every bit the regal plantation it once had been. Colwen Grounds had been in her family since the sixteen hundreds.

"Welcome home, Bala." The girl looked up, seeing her aunt beside her. Sophelia wrapped her arm around her niece's shoulders and squeezed. Then, she led her up the walk and onto the wrap-around veranda porch. Once inside, Sophelia set the bags down and gently pushed her niece towards the living room. "Go on, Bala, I'll go help your father and sister."

The girl ignored her, instead wandered around the living room looking at everything from the fireplace mantel to the photographs on the walls. She stopped at a portrait of her mother. Melena stared out at her daughter from the old portrait, her long mahogany hair pulled back in curls that tumbled over her shoulders. She smiled at her daughter, her eyes watching her daughter lovingly. Afte a moment, the girl reached out, running her fingers along the contours of her mother's face.

"Mama."

She turned when something hit the ground. Her aunt and father were in the living room, setting her things down. Frex watched his child, taking in the fear that reflected in her eyes. She swallowed, unsure of how to begin.

"Daddy, where's Mama? Is she out back?" The girl started towards the back of the house, but Frex rushed after her, grabbing her arm and stopping her. She turned back to her father.

"Fabala, Mama isn't here. She's..." He looked back at his sister-in-law. Sophelia shrugged. "She's visiting friends. She'll be back soon."

"Oh. Okay." The girl seemed to accept this. Moments of tense silence passed before she said, "I'm... tired. Can I... can I go lay down?"

"Of course you can, Fabala. You've had a rough few weeks." Slowly, the girl moved past her father and aunt, making her way to the stairs. She stopped on the first two stairs, turning back to them. "Thank you, Daddy. Thank you Aunt Sophelia."

"You're welcome sweet girl."

They watched her disappear upstairs before speaking. Sophelia was the first to broach the subject.

"When should we tell her that Lana's not going to come back from visiting friends?"

Frex shrugged, never taking his eyes off the stairs where his daughter had been. He didn't say anything for several minutes, before turning to her.

"Not right now. She'll never believe it, and in the fragile state she's in, I don't think we should push it, Lia. Give her time to get used to everything again."

"But she'll never be the same. Remember what the doctor said, Frex? She's got long-term, post-traumatic retrograde amnesia. She may never recover her memory of the accident. She may never recover her engagement to Fiyero Tiggular or her friendship with Glinda Upland. We just... we have to be patient with her."

Upstairs, Elphaba sat on the floor of her bedroom, going through a box of postcards, newspaper articles and school event programs. Her high school graduation program jogged nothing, nor did the article announcing her engagement to Fiyero. Lurlinemas cards sent to her from her aunt from the time she was a child recalled memories of childhood dinners and opening presents by the tree. But it was one program that made her blood run cold.

All other pieces of paper fell to the floor and she sat back on her butt. A photograph of her mother stared back at her.

Melena Nardia Thropp

April 16th, 1946 - March 14, 1989

No.

No, it couldn't be true.

It... it _couldn't_ be true...

Mama... Mama was..._ dead..._

She dropped the program, and scooted away from it, as though it were a snake about to bite. Once pressed against her bed, she began screaming.

Downstairs, Frex and Sophelia were up and racing for the stairs. All they knew was that Elphaba was in pain. They burst into her room to see her sitting on the floor near the bed, rocking back and forth. Tears ran down her cheeks and she was staring at something on the floor in front of her. Frex rushed to his daughter's side and knelt next to her, wrapping her into his arms.

Sophelia looked around for the object that had caused her niece to react this way, and when her eyes moved down to the floor, she felt her breath catch. Slowly, she knelt and picked up the program. Her little sister's face stared back at her. Sophelia's eyes moved from the photograph to her brother-in-law and niece. She and Frex locked eyes, realizing the same thing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

Over the next few weeks, Elphie tried hard to fall back into her normal routines, except she didn't know what those routines_ were_. Ever since discovering that her mother was dead, she hadn't left her room, let alone the house.

"That's it, I can't take it. That girl is going back to Shiz. Tonight."

"Sophelia, we can't send her back to Shiz. She's not ready to go back, she still needs us. She needs to be home." Sophelia shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She's going, Frex. Maybe Shiz will give her something to focus on. She hasn't been out of the house since she discovered the program for Melena's funeral. A change of scenery would be good for her."

Frex sighed. His sister-in-law was right.

The next afternoon, Elphaba stepped out of the cab in Shiz Village. She looked back, watching as her father got out of the cab and joined her. Once he was near her, she shrank into her father's embrace, frightened.

"Where are we, Daddy?"

"We're at Shiz University, Fabala." Then, he took her hand and led her through the gates. He led her to Crage Hall, and into Madame Morrible's office. "Stay here, little frog." He whispered. She nodded, taking a seat in the lobby. When the door finally closed behind her father, she let herself look around. This was confusing, everything- from the house to the school. Nothing was the same; Mama was dead. She couldn't have been more alone.

The door opened, and Frex came out, shaking Madame Morrible's hand. Elphaba stood, going to her father's side.

"I promise, Mr. Thropp, we'll do everything we can to make sure Elphaba feels comfortable here."

"Thank you, Madame."

When they left the office, Frex took his daughter's hand as he led her upstairs to her dorm. After unlocking the door, he had to pull her into the room. He helped her get settled, and then joined her on the edge of the bed. "Fabala, I know this is new, and it's scary, but you're here so you can get your education. You're going to experience things that you won't fully grasp, but you have to understand, Fabala, that it's important that you go to school. You need to get your education. And if you ever feel overwhelmed, you can always come home. Okay, honey?"

She nodded, sniffling. Then, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Don't go, Daddy." Frex held her close, rubbing her back. After six weeks of taking care of his sick little girl, he was being forced to leave her among strangers. Eventually, he pulled away and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you, Fabala."

Pulling away from his daughter was the hardest thing Frex could do. But he did. When he shut the door behind him, he turned his eyes skyward.

"Take care of her. Please."


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_Dorm 9503, Crage Hall, Shiz University_

The door opened and Glinda slipped through, shutting it softly behind her. She tossed her head, dropping her bags by her closet and peeling off her light jacket. She removed the headband from her curls and tossed it on her bed, humming softly. But the sound of a door opening caused her to stop and listen. Quickly, she grabbed a book and moved towards the bathroom door.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" She demanded. Taking a deep breath, she reached out to grab the doorknob when it opened and someone came out. Glinda shrieked in surprise at the sight of the girl clad in only a towel. She pulled back to swing when the girl flinched. Her dark eyes widened in fear and she screamed, backing up against the doorframe. She pressed herself against the door jam, eyes closed, whimpering.

"I'm sorry! Please! Please don't hurt me! I didn't do anything, I _swear_!"

Glinda lowered the book, finally getting a good look at the girl. Her long raven hair was pulled back from her face in a dripping twist, and her harlequin green skin glistened from the shower. A scar ran the circumference of her neck, scar tissue surrounding the scar- a slightly darkers shade of green, obviously from a skin graph or surgery of some kind. Slowly, her eyes opened and she glanced at the blonde. Even silent, the girl conveyed so much fear. It flashed across her face and danced in her eyes.

"E... Elphie?" She tossed the book onto her bed and moved closer to the older girl, who shrank back, getting as close as she could to the wall. Gently, Glinda reached out to trace the girl's features, but she pulled away. It was then that Glinda realized she was shaking- more from fear than cold. The blonde hurried to the small linen closet and pulled out a blanket before going back to the girl. "Here." But she shrank further away. "It's okay, Elphie. I won't hurt you. I promise." Her roommate finally turned to look at her, never moving from the wall. "You scared me, that's all. I wasn't expecting you back for another few weeks. Here."

After a moment of consideration, she pushed away from the wall and let Glinda wrap the blanket around her. But when the girl reached out to wrap her arm around her shoulders, Elphaba pulled away, going to her bed. She sat on the edge of the bed, holding the blanket close. Slowly, Glinda went to the bed and sat down next to her friend. She watched the girl closely, looking for any signs that she was different, but she seemed like the same old Elphie. Elphaba, uncomfortable, scooted to the other side of the bed.

"Are you okay, Elphie?" The girl bit her lip.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking at Glinda. The blonde's eyes widened.

"I..." She struggled to find the right words. "I'm Glinda Upland, Elphie. I... I'm your best friend. We're roommates, remember?"

Elphaba shook her head, standing. The blanket fell to the bedspread. "No. I don't. I... I don't have a best friend. Or a roommate. I'm fourteen, and I live at Colwen Grounds with my family... but... but Daddy said that I... that I have to stay here and go to school and get my education..." The girl had turned to Glinda and now stood, speaking out loud to put the pieces together. "And... and he said that Mama's dead... and that I... I needed to come here to get away and take my mind off Mama dieing... But I don't remember her dieing. I don't remember anything. I remember talking to Mama before bed last night, and that's the last thing I remember. And I wake up this morning and _Mama's dead_... and Daddy's brought me here... and... and... and I don't..._ I don't remember anything! I don't remember..."_

The girl broke down fully then, crumpling to the floor. She sat in the middle of the dorm, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. Glinda sat and watched her, unsure of what to do. Eventually, she got off the bed and joined the girl on the floor. She sat a safe distance away, so as not to scare the girl.

"Elphie, you were in a car accident a few weeks ago. It was a hit-and-run. It did major damage to your brain and you lost your memory. You have amnesia. Permanent long term amnesia. You don't remember the accident. Or... Shiz obviously." The girl raised her head, looking at her roommate through tear-filled eyes.

"Wh... why do you call me Elphie?" Glinda started. She wasn't expecting that question. Questions about the accident, the surgery, the memory loss, yes, but not that.

"Um... uh... be... because it's your nickname."

"Oh." The girl seemed to be digesting the information. She looked down at her fingers, twisting the foreign ring around on her finger. "I... I don't... like it... Elphie." She looked up at Glinda.

"Okay." Glinda said softly. She liked the nickname. "What do you want to be called? What do you want your nickname to be?"

Elphaba thought a moment, biting her lip. "Ela. I want to be called Ela." Glinda nodded after a few seconds.

"Okay. Ela it is then."

The girls sat in silence for several minutes; Glinda watching her roommate, Elphaba twisting the ring on her finger. She didn't make eye contact, didn't speak, just watched the ring twist back and forth on her finger. Three jewels were set within the gold band- two diamonds with an emerald set between them. THe doctor said that she had been wearing the ring when the accident occured, so it must be important.

Maybe it was Mama's."

"G... Um..." She stopped. She couldn't bring herself to say her roommate's name.

Not now.

Not until she knew the girl better.

"What is it?" Glinda asked softly. The girl bit her lip.

"Wh... why am I wearing this?" She asked, holding out her hand. The engagment ring Fiyero had given her sparked in the light.


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

How was she supposed to answer that?

It took a few minutes, but eventually, Glinda was able to choke out,

"Well, Elph- Ela, you... you're in... you're in an arranged marriage. Or, arranged engagement, rather. You... you haven't gotten married yet. You're engaged. To Fiyero Tiggular. The Vinkun Prince."

She hoped the girl wouldn't completely lose it.

No such luck.

Elphaba's eyes widened, and she struggled to find both words and breath. Climbing to her feet, she rushed to her suitcases and began pulling clothes out of them. She said nothing, instead started to get dressed. Glinda watched her, shocked. Not the reaction she was expecting.

_"How can I be engaged? I'm fourteen! I don't even know a Vinkun Prince! I've never even been to the Vinkus!"_

That was more like it.

She threw the towel onto her bed before collapsing onto it. Glinda, meanwhile, had climbed to her feet and slowly made her way towards her.

"Ela-" The girl pulled away when she reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I know this is scary-"

"You have no idea." Elphaba replied through tears.

"But you have people here who love you. People who love you very much. I know you may not remember us, but we're your friends."

"We?" The girl looked over her shoulder at her roommate. Glinda nodded.

"Fiyero and I. And Milla and Avaric and Boq and-"

"I don't know any of those people." Elphaba cut in, shaking her head. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried hard to contain her tears to no avail.

"But you'll get to know us. And we'll be here for you every step of the way. Even after your memories return."

"Daddy said that the doctor said that I'll never remember."

Glinda stopped herself from speaking. She had to think before she spoke next. "Then we'll help you create new memories. Memories worth remembering. With people worth knowing. Memories you'll never be able to forget. And no matter what happens to you, or where you go, Ela, you can always come back to us."

"You'd let me?" Elphaba asked, sniffling. Glinda nodded.

"Of course. You're my best friend." She cringed when Elphaba backed up. "I mean, I... I'd_ like_ to be your best friend." She waited. "If you let me."

The girl listened, letting it absorb into her damaged brain. After a moment, she nodded.

"O... okay." Glinda relaxed. "I've never had friends before." Tears came to Glinda's eyes at the pain in that simple statement.

"You do now." The girl nodded, and they lapsed into a silence that didn't last long. Elphaba stood, and moved quickly towards the door. "Where are you going?" Glinda asked. The girl stopped and turned to her roommate.

"I... I guess I'm living here now, so... I have to... familiarize myself with this place."

"Okay. Be careful." Glinda said, not getting up. Elphaba nodded. "Do you want me to come with you?" Elphaba stopped, hand on the doorknob.

"No thank you... Glinda."

The blonde couldn't hide the smile that appeared on her face. She watched in silence as the door closed behind her roommate.


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to ChaoticSymphonyofDarkness for reviewing 7, 18lzytwner for reviewing 3 and 7, and lizziemagic for reviewing 4, 5, 6 and 7.**

_Shiz University Campus_

She followed the path through campus, keeping to herself, watching other students. They laughed and talked, made jokes and made out. They all had friends. Lives. Something she didn't have. Something she didn't remember. Tears began to sting her eyes as she continued through campus, and she picked up her pace to get away from the other students. Hurrying over the footbridge, she broke into a run, making her way past Briscoe Hall, narrowly missing being hit by a door and pushing her way through students coming out of class.

As she rounded a corner, she blindly slammed into someone. Books banged to the ground and papers drifted to the dirt like leaves. She stumbled back, embarrassed. As she regained her balance, and then knelt down to pick everything up, the person's voice stopped her.

"Are you okay?" She looked up into the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. Eyes a sapphire blue watched her with concern. He knelt to help her pick everything up, and she found herself blushing. "Elphaba. You... you weren't supposed to be back for another couple weeks. I'm glad you're back early, though." He grinned at her and she felt her stomach tangle into knots.

"I... I'm sorry about running into you. I didn't mean to."

"It's okay. You're allowed to run into your fiance at least once a day." He joked gently. She blushed deeper.

"I... I don't know you. I don't have a fiance. I'm sorry-"

"Fiyero." He filled in.

"Fiyero." She added softly. _You're engaged. To Fiyero Tiggular. The Vinkun Prince. _This must be the Vinkun Prince. The man Glinda was talking about. "It's nice to meet you, Fiyero. I'm Elphaba." She held out her hand, and he glanced at it.

"Nice to meet you too, Elphaba." He replied softly, kissing her hand. Ever the true gentleman.

Although what he wanted to do was grab her and kiss her so deeply her toes curled, but he reminded himself that he had to take things slow and not scare her. No matter how much he wanted to. So it was now, as she helped him pick up the paper and books, that he finally realized how beautiful she was. Sure, he'd looked at her not long after the engagement was announced, but he'd _never really looked_...

Her hair- so dark, a raven could have donated it's feathers to lay atop her head- hung down about her face, portions of it having fallen out of the damp twist at the back of her head. She tossed her head slightly, sending the black strands flying before they settled back near her face. She watched him with eyes of chocolate; fear and confusion swam within their depths. Her nose was small, a button. She bit her lip, nervous at their close proxminity. When she lifted her head again, he saw the scar running the circumference of her neck- a painful reminder of the accident that nearly took her life. He gave her a quick smile.

Slowly, they rose to their feet, he taking the books and papers she held out.

"Thanks." He whispered. She nodded.

"Welcome." They stood in awkward silence, trying to figure out what to do or say. "Well... bye." She waved at him quickly, before moving past him, wrapping her arms around herself. He watched her go for several minutes, before deciding.

Screw the doctor's warning.

She needed to come back to them. And he was going to help her.

"Elphaba! Elphaba, wait up!"

She seemed to pick up her pace- a pace he matched with equal vigor, even though he was steps behind her.

"Elphie!" She stopped, slowly turning to him.

There it was, that stupid nickname. First her roommmate, and now this guy...

"Don't call me Elphie."

"But it's your nickname." He said, catching up to her. She stared at him, caution in her eyes. After a moment, she took a cautious step towards him.

"I don't like that name. I don't want to be called that."

"Then what do you want to be called?" He asked.

"Ela." He started, surprised. He'd tried the nickname before on her. The old Elphie hated it.

_But she isn't your Elphie. She doesn't know who she is._

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. He was getting a headache.

"Ela, then. Sorry."

"It's okay." She replied softly, slowly making her way towards him. He looked down into her eyes, searching for any trace of the girl he'd been engaged to. There was none. She'd completely vanished with the accident. And in her place was this new girl. He wasn't sure he liked the new girl.

Better to wait and see.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out and cupped her cheek, lifting her chin to look at the scar. The movement caused their heads to get closer, and slowly, he moved in to close the gap...

She pulled away, turning and fleeing further into the middle of campus, leaving him stunned.

For a moment, she had been nothing but a shadow in his memory.


End file.
